What the critics think of Pokemon Legends: Arceus

Early reviews for the new Pokemon game, out this Friday, have landed — and we gotta say, they’re rather positive!

What? Pokemon is evolving?

Yup, we’ve been playing Pokemon in various forms since the mid-90s, and it looks like Pokemon Legends: Arceus may be the biggest shake up to the franchise since those Game Boy originals.

Here’s a quick look at what the critics have to say about Game Freak’s latest for Nintendo Switch:

Steve Watts at GameSpot calls this an “awkward first step” but adds that this is ultimately a “significant reimagining of what makes a Pokemon game” which “finds its stride” and ends up being “the most daring and inventive the series has been in years”.

Neal Ronaghan, writing at Nintendo World Report, explains how this ‘Breath of the Wild’ moment for Pokemon returns an “astoundingly smart improvement on the tried-and-true Pokemon formula”, and although not without its blemishes (chiefly the muddy visuals) lays a hopeful foundation for the future of the long-running franchise.

Laura Gray of Screen Rant details how this new game “takes risks to introduce new gameplay to an old series, restoring the enjoyment in a trainer journey and Pokemon story” resulting in something that is “the perfect entry point for those who have never played a Pokémon game, while also being a great way for long-time fans to embrace new challenges”.

Chris Tapsell, writing for Eurogamer, notes how this new entry is refreshingly “a game crafted by subtractive sculpture” adding that Pokemon Legends: Arceus “is either this series’ bare minimum, or its purest form” — and may well be both at once.

Sam Loveridge over at Games Radar notes how the gameplay experiments Game Freak have taken here ultimately pay off resulting in “a refreshing take on the Pokemon formula”.

Will Greenwald for PC Mag says this “isn’t the open-world Pokemon game fans have been waiting for” but is “*still a fun and content-filled game if you go into it with the right expectations*”.

The respected Nintendo experts over at Nintendo Life were also similarly impressed, labeling this new entry as an excellent addition to the series. Jordan Middler explained how Legends feels like “Game Freak learning lessons for 25 years, refining the formula, and finally taking the franchise in a new, incredible, exciting direction”.

Laura Dale, writing on her blog, notes how it’s nice to see “The Pokémon Company actually exhibit some much-needed ambition” — the end result being something that “offers a wonderful experience”.

Giovanni Colantonio at Digital Trends, notes how Legends “takes a lot of experimental swings”, but is “held back by some first draft design ideas and weak visuals” however he adds that it still left him “hopeful that the series is finally ready to evolve”.

Chris Scullion for VGC notes how the historical setting of Arceus has “allowed developer Game Freak to reflect on the very core of what makes a Pokémon game, and the results of its tinkering are simply wonderful”. The end result here is a “breath of fresh air” that the series has long needed. Chris also notes that although it “may not have been apparent from the trailers, [..] this is one of the most entertaining, engaging and engrossing games in the entire history of the Pokemon series”.

Jack Rear, writing at The Telegraph, called it a “god-tier creature catching experience”, giving it a perfect score, and adding that by “tearing up the rule book and breaking new ground, Game Freak has created the best Pokemon title in decades”.

Critical Consensus

At time of writing Pokemon Legends: Arceus holds a ‘generally favorable’ Metacritic ranking of 86/100, and an Open Critic score of 85/100.

The game is released for the Nintendo Switch on January 28, and is available to order on Amazon now.